Unit

6

CulturalBarriersinInterculturalCommunicationSixSixOurNaturalCulturalContext

Wearelikeafishinwater.SixOurNaturalCulturalContext

Webecome“afishoutofwater”.Six“Water”ismyculture.Otherwaterorairis“otherculturalcontexts”.Ineedmyculture

tofeelcomfortable!“outofwater”=outofcontextSixCase1:OneChinesestudentLiYingwasstudyinginAmericaandwasonceinvitedtoattendafriend’sparty.Hearrivedthereontimebuthefoundmanyarrivedlateincasualclothes.Thefoodwassimpleandtherewerefewacquaintances.Hejusthadashortconversationwiththehost.Twohourslaterheleftindisappointment,determinednevertoattendthesekindofpartiesagain.SixCase2:ComingfromManchester,SaraworksasateacherinXi’an.Whenshewasgivingalecture,shefoundthestudentskepttakingnoteswithoutaskinganyquestions.Sheencouragedthemtoposequestionsinclassbutitdidn’twork.Thestudentsusuallyaskedquestionsafterclassanddidn’treadmuchthereferencebooksshehadrecommended.Howdoyouinterpretthetwocases?SixLaRayBarna(afamousscholarininterculturalcommunication)believesthatthemainbarrierininterculturalcommunicationistoassumetheculturalnormsofone’sownareacceptedbyothercultures.CulturalAssumptionsSixCulturalassumptionsStereotypesEthnocentrismCulturalshock···BarriersinInterculturalCommunicationSixCraigStortibelievesininterculturalcommunication,peoplegenerallygothroughfourphases:Expectingpeopleinanotherculturetobehavesimilarly.Culturalconflictresultingfromthebiggapbetweentheexpectationandreality.Feelingangryandfearful.Wantingtoshrinkandgiveup.SixQuestion:WhoisCraigStorti?CraigStortiisthedirectorofCommunicatingAcrossCultures,specializinginthedesignanddeliveryofseminarsininterculturalcommunications,cross-culturalbusinessdynamics,expatriationandrepatriation,culturaldiversity,andmanagingthemulticultural/globalworkforceforclientsfromgovernment,business,military,andtheeducationsectors.SixHowtoavoidculturalassumptionininterculturalcommunication?1.

Constantlyremindoneselfthatpeoplehavedifferentculturalbackgroundsandcontrastingcustoms.2.Learntoobserveothercountry’scultureandcompareitwithone’sownsoastoimprovethecross-culturalawareness.SixStereotypesareperceptionsandbeliefsweholdaboutgroupsorindividualsbasedonourpreviouslyformedopinionsorattitudes.Theycanbepositiveornegative.Stereotypescanchangealongwithtime.Changeinsocialconditionscanleadtothechangeofstereotypes.StereotypesSixReasonsforFormingStereotypesSocialenvironmentisthekeyfactor;Thepersonalexperienceofchildhoodplaysasignificantrole;Ithassomethingtodowiththecognitivedevelopmentofchildren.SixStereotypesVsPrejudices刻板印象

VS

偏見Stereotypescanbeeitherpositiveornegativeandcanchangealongwithtime.Prejudicesaregenerallynegativeandtakemanyformsincluding

“discrimination”,whichisanextremeandintentionalformofprejudice.SixDisadvantagesofStereotypesExaggeratethedifferencesbetweengroupsandignoreindividualdifferences.Leadtoethnocentricandprejudicialconceptionsandspeeches.Neglectthedynamicandchangeablenatureofculture.SixPreventionofStereotypesPayattentiontoindividualdifferences.Reservethespaceforindependentexploring.Betolerant.SixEthnocentrismTobeethnocentricistobelieveinthesuperiorityofone’sowncultureandnegativelyjudgeaspectsofanotherculturebythestandardsofone’sown，includingthebehaviors,communicationmodes,socialcustoms,managingmethodsandsocialvalues.SixManifestationofEthnocentrismThecoursebookofeachcountryallfocusesonthehistoryandcultureofitsown.Themapofeachcountryalwaysplacesitselfinthecenter.Whenmentioningthecontributiontotheworldcivilization,onecountryalwayshighlightitsownwhileunderestimatingothers.Incomposingtheworldliteraturehistory,therehaslongexistedatendencytoplaceEuropeinthecenter,whilementioninglittleaboutthecontributionofAsia.AfricaandLatinAmerica,leadingtoalowevaluationoftheworksinthoseplaces.ThereasonthatliesbehindisthattheauthorsaremainlyEuropeans.SixEthnocentrismVsPatriotism民族中心vs

愛國主義Ethnocentrismbelievesone’scultureissuperiortoothers’andlookstodownuponmembersinothergroupsandmocksatpeopleinothergroupswhentheyseethemhavedifferentsocialcustomsorbehavedifferently.Patriotismisakindofpositiveandsupportiveattitudeandemotionstowardsone’sowncountry.SixCultureShock(1/7)

CultureShockreferstoatransitionalprocessinwhichanindividualperceivesthreatstoherorhiswell-beinginaculturallynewenvironment.SixCultureShock(2/7)

Wealllikethefamiliar.Culturemakesthingsfamiliar,andinsodoinghelpsusreducethestressoflife.Butwhenwearethrustintoanotherculture,byeitherchanceordesign,andexperiencepsychologicalandphysicaldiscomfortfromthiscontact,wehavebecomevictimsofCultureShock.ThetermwasfirstintroducedbytheanthropologistOberg.SixCultureShock(3/7)

AccordingtoOberg,CultureShockinvolves:Asenseofidentitylossandidentitydeprivationwithregardtovalues,status,profession,friends,andpossessions;Identitystrainasaresultoftheeffortrequiredtomakenecessarypsychologicaladaptation;Identityrejectionbymembersofthenewculture;Identityconfusion,especiallyasregardsroleambiguityandunpredictability;Identityimpotenceasaresultofnotbeingabletocopewiththenewenvironment.SixCultureShock(4/7)

Reasons:CommunicationbarriersDifferentdailyactivitiesSolitudeDifferentcustomsDifferentbeliefsandvaluesSixCultureShock(5/7)

TheProcedureChart:highDegreeofpersonalhappinesslowHoneymoonperiodFrustratedperiodRecoveryandadjustmentperiodAdaptiveperiodSixCultureShock(6/7)

ProcessofCultureShock:HoneymoonPeriod:

Satisfiedwiththepeople,sightsandfoodofthenewenvironmentandhappywiththeprospectofworkingorlivinginaforeigncountry.2.FrustratedPeriod:

Appearanceofconflictsinvaluesbecauseofculturaldifferences;